U.S. patent number 4,830,284 [Application Number 06/592,076] was granted by the patent office on 1989-05-16 for atomizing or dosing pump.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Ing. Erich Pfeiffer GmbH & Co. KG. Invention is credited to Leo Maerte.
United States Patent |
4,830,284 |
Maerte |
May 16, 1989 |
Atomizing or dosing pump
Abstract
A dosing or atomizing pump for liquid, creamy or pasty media
has, in addition to its outlet valve provided on the pump chamber
an additional valve provided in the pump operating pushbutton and
closes the discharge opening directly at its mouth. By means of the
hydraulic pressure, the additional valve body is operated by means
of a differential piston. In a variant, the valve body can be a
functional part of an atomizer nozzle. The additional valve
prevents drying or other negative influencing of the medium in the
discharge passage.
Inventors: |
Maerte; Leo (Sipplingen,
DE) |
Assignee: |
Ing. Erich Pfeiffer GmbH & Co.
KG (Radolfzell, DE)
|
Family
ID: |
6197535 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/592,076 |
Filed: |
March 22, 1984 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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Apr 28, 1983 [DE] |
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3315334 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
239/333; 239/487;
251/337; 417/550; 222/321.6 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B05B
11/0067 (20130101); B05B 11/0072 (20130101); B05B
11/3023 (20130101); B05B 11/3016 (20130101); G01F
11/028 (20130101); B05B 11/3063 (20130101); B05B
11/3047 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B05B
11/00 (20060101); G01F 11/02 (20060101); B05B
009/043 (); G01F 011/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;417/550 ;222/321,383
;239/487,333,329,331,453,574 ;251/337 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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1299530 |
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Jul 1969 |
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DE |
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2504885 |
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Jan 1976 |
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DE |
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2162514 |
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Mar 1976 |
|
DE |
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1328326 |
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Aug 1973 |
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GB |
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1366774 |
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Sep 1974 |
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GB |
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2051969 |
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Jan 1981 |
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GB |
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Primary Examiner: Kashnikow; Andres
Assistant Examiner: Jones; Mary Beth O.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Steele, Gould & Fried
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A pump construction for dispensing a fluid in an outlet
direction, comprising:
a pump with a pump pressure chamber, a fluid inlet leading thereto
and a fluid outlet therefrom, the inlet having an inlet valve, said
inlet valve being a valve opening only for fluid suction into said
pump pressure chamber,
the outlet forming an outlet passage extending between the pump
pressure chamber and a final fluid outlet opening of the pump
construction for dispensing the fluid, said outlet having a first
fluid outlet valve for the passage of the fluid from the pressure
chamber to a part of the outlet passage being positioned downstream
of the first outlet valve, and a second fluid outlet valve having a
closure member (13) positioned downstream of the first outlet valve
in the outlet passage, wherein the first fluid outlet valve (23) is
a valve only opening under fluid pressure in the pump pressure
chamber (18) for fluid passage in the fluid outlet direction
and
wherein the second fluid outlet valve is a valve only opening under
fluid pressure for fluid passage in the fluid outlet direction and
closing against fluid passage in a direction opposite to the outlet
direction, the closure member of the second fluid outlet valve
constituting the final fluid outlet opening.
2. A pump construction according to claim 1, wherein the pump
comprises a pump cylinder and a piston movable therein, said piston
bearing a piston sleeve and the first fluid outlet valve.
3. A pump construction according to claim 1, wherein the second
fluid outlet valve is a piston operated valve, pressure on a valve
piston thereof being exerted by fluid pressure in a cylinder formed
in the outlet passage between the first and second fluid outlet
valves.
4. A pump construction according to claim 3, wherein the final
fluid outlet opening is provided on a replaceable unit adapted for
manual operation of the pump, the second fluid outlet valve and the
valve piston with the cylinder being a part of said replaceable
unit.
5. A pump construction according to claim 1, wherein the closure
member of the second fluid outlet valve includes structure causing
the inside of a nozzle forming the final fluid outlet opening to
engage against a valve seat of said closure member.
6. A pump construction according to claim 3, wherein the valve
piston is a double sided piston with different sized piston sleeves
on opposite sides of a rod-like valve body urged by fluid pressure
in the outlet passage between the first and second fluid outlet
valves.
7. A pump construction according to claim 5, wherein the closure
member of the second fluid outlet valve forms part of the nozzle,
the nozzle being an atomizing nozzle.
8. A pump construction according to claim 5, wherein the nozzle has
a variable cross-section due to movement of the closure member.
9. A pump construction according to claim 1, wherein in an end face
of the fluid outlet passage provided with the final fluid outlet
opening are helical grooves partly covered by a shoulder of the
closure member.
10. A pump construction for dispensing a fluid in an outlet
direction, comprising:
a pump with a pump pressure chamber, a fluid inlet leading thereto
and a fluid outlet therefrom, the outlet forming an outlet passage
extending between the pump pressure chamber and a final fluid
outlet opening of the pump construction for dispensing the fluid,
said outlet having a first fluid outlet valve for the passage of
the fluid from the pressure chamber to a part of the outlet passage
being positioned downstream of the first outlet valve, and a second
fluid outlet valve having a closure member positioned downstream of
the first outlet valve in the outlet passage, wherein the second
fluid outlet valve is a valve only opening under pressure in the
fluid outlet direction and closing against fluid passage in a
direction opposite to the outlet direction, the closure member of
the second fluid outlet valve constituting the final fluid outlet
opening and,
wherein a rear end of the closure member of the second fluid outlet
valve forms a closing spring for the closure member, the closing,
spring comprising elastic outwardly spreadable spring fingers.
11. A pump construction according to claim 10, wherein the closure
member of the second fluid outlet valve has a closing surface of
one end the second fluid outlet valve being formed in one piece of
plastic material.
12. A pump construction for dispensing a fluid in an outlet
direction, comprising:
a pump with a pump pressure chamber, a fluid inlet leading thereto
and a fluid outlet therefrom, the outlet forming an outlet passage
extending between the pump pressure chamber and a final fluid
outlet having a first fluid outlet valve for the passage of the
fluid from the pressure chamber to a part of the outlet passage
being positioned downstream of the first outlet valve, and a second
fluid outlet valve having a closure member positioned downstream of
the first outlet valve in the outlet passage, wherein the second
fluid outlet valve is a valve only opening under pressure in the
fluid outlet direction and closing against fluid passage in a
direction opposite to the outlet direction, the closure member on
the second fluid outlet valve constituting the final fluid outlet
opening wherein a rear end of the closure member of the second
fluid outlet valve forms a closing spring for the closure member,
the closing spring comprising elastic outwardly spreadable spring
fingers, and,
the ends of the spring fingers slideably engage a conical surface
inside the outlet passage.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an atomizing or dosing pump with an outlet
valve, an outlet passage positioned downstream thereof and which
terminates in a mouthpiece in the form of an opening or an
atomizing nozzle, and an additional closure member arranged in the
outlet passage.
German Pat. No. 21 62 514 discloses a hand pump more particularly
intended for dispensing creamy or pasty media and which has a
single-acting thrust piston pump like the piston pumps used for
perfume atomizers. The outlet valve is provided at the outlet side
end of the hollow piston rod, with which is associated a device for
sucking back into an intermediate reservoir medium present in the
outlet passage following on to the valve after the end of the
delivery stroke, in order to prevent hardening taking place at the
outlet nozzle. Between said reservoir and the outlet passage is
provided a closure member in the form of a slotted disk, which can
open to either side and brings about a partial closure as a result
of its natural elasticity.
In addition, British Pat. No. 1 366 774 discloses an atomizing
pump, whose outlet valve has a double closing or sealing function
in that on the one hand under internal pressure it rises axially
from a valve disk and on the other hand by radial expansion of a
hose-like portion of the same piston section frees a cross hole in
the piston rod. However, as the second valve is a long way from the
actual discharge opening or the atomizing nozzle, influencing of
the medium in the flow direction behind the outlet nozzle cannot be
excluded.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The problem of the invention is to provide an atomizing or dosing
pump, which ensures that the medium present in the area between the
pump cylinder and the discharge opening does not dry or is not
damaged in other ways by ambient infuences.
According to the invention this problem is solved by the
characterizing part of claim 1.
The valve is preferably operable by the pressure of the delivered
medium, and is preferably directly located at the mouthpiece. It
therefore effectively ensures that the medium present in the outlet
passage is not exposed to air and is not prejudiced or made
unusable there through drying out, oxygen influence or
contamination. The arrangement of the valve, in addition to the
outlet valve, has the advantage that the latter between the
mouthpiece and the pump chamber does not actually belong to the
pressure area of the pump chamber, so that the operating cap
normally containing the discharge opening or atomizer nozzle can
easily be replaced by pulling off. During operation there is no
detachment risk, because the connection is compressed by the manual
operating pressure on the operating button.
The valve can have a rod-like valve body incorporating from the
inside with the mouthpiece opening and which is located in said
opening in the manner of a nozzle needle and can optionally be
constructed in such a way that it can strike against this opening
to free it from any material drying on it.
Advantageously the valve is operable by a piston arranged on the
valve body. In this case, the additional valve is directly operated
by the hydraulic pressure, the piston being in particular a double
piston with different piston surfaces on which action takes place
from either side. Thus, the additional valve body can be arranged
in the actual outlet and when the opening pressure builds up, it
moves away from the mouthpiece opening.
According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the valve
body can be formed by a spring comprising elastic, outwardly
spreadable webs and the ends of said spring preferably engage on a
conical surface. The valve rod, piston and webs are preferably made
in one piece from plastic. Thus, this very simple component hardly
increases the cost of the complete valve, but is still sufficiently
reliable.
The end of the valve preferably forms a component of an atomizer
nozzle, which has a cross-section variable by the valve body. The
three passages of the atomizer nozzle can also be provided in the
form of three grooves on the pump, which are covered by the valve
body. On the one hand this makes it possible to use the additional
valve as a component of the actual atomizer nozzle, thereby inter
alia saving on other components, and on the other hand it is
possible to vary the cross-section of the atomizer nozzle as a
function of the additional valve opening, i.e. the throughput
quantity, so as to better ensure a uniform atomization even in the
case of variable discharge quantities. The valve body also acts as
a movable part within the atomizer nozzle for freeing the latter
from undesired residues. Through the construction of the nozzle
from a nozzle cap and a needle valve, there is no need for a
separate nozzle which has to be pressed in from the outside and
whose installation hitherto had to be carried out with great care,
because the automatic detachment of a nozzle under the internal
pressure, particularly in the case of pharmaceutical products,
could lead to catastrophic overdosage or to injury of the
patient.
The invention leads to numerous advantages. Up to the opening of
the nozzle, a certain internal pressure builds up in the outlet
passage until the additional valve opens. This means that the
atomization takes place from the outset in a complete and drip-free
manner, which also applies for the closing of the valve.
Particularly if it is operated independently of the mechanical
movement of the pump chamber outlet valve, the additional valve can
be fitted in any random position, e.g. centrally in the axial
direction of the pump in the case of a central discharge opening
(e.g. in the case of a nose spray) or at right angles to the pump
axis in the case of a lateral discharge opening. It is also
independent of the discharge opening design and it is possible to
provide for the same pump several different operating heads having
in each case their own additional valve with the advantageous
nozzle needle, which can be retracted under the pressure of the
medium. The invention can be used with media of different types,
namely both for light liquid media, which are e.g. atomized and
which have to be protected from drying out or the evaporation of
active constituents (perfume), and for pasty media, which must be
protected from drying out, oxidation or contamination.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention is described in greater detail hereinafter relative
to non-limitative embodiments and with reference to the attached
drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a section view along the axis of a dosing pump.
FIG. 2 is a section view of a detail of an embodiment constructed
as an atomizing pump.
FIG. 2a is a section taken along line II--II of FIG. 2.
FIGS. 3 and 4 are detailed sections through variants of and the
operating button of a dosing pump.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The dosing pump 11 shown in FIG. 1 has a pump body 12, which can be
screwed by means of a thread 13 on to a container 14, indicated by
dot-dash lines, which contains the medium to be dispensed. A pump
cylinder 15 is snapped into pump body 12. Pump cylinder 15 projects
into the container and a suction tube 16 is mounted on its lower
end. Suction tube 16 extends down to the bottom of the container
and sucks up the medium through an inlet valve 17 into pump chamber
18.
A piston 19 is located into the pump chamber and has an elastic
sleeve 20, which, in conjunction with a valve body 22 arranged on a
piston rod 21, simultaneously forms the outlet valve 23 for the
pump chamber. This valve is described in detail in German Pat. No.
13 02 372. It opens under the internal liquid pressure in the pump
chamber, through axial displacement of the sleeve part, the sleeve
neck being axially compressed, thereby supplying the spring tension
for closing the valve. The piston is forced upwards by a spring 24,
which has the function of a return spring and also applies the
conical top of the piston sleeve 20 against the sealing shoulder
25, which closes the air compensating openings 26 when piston 19 is
forced into its upper, unoperated position by spring 24.
The piston component having on its lower portion the elastic piston
sleeve 20 surrounds the hollow piston rod 21 over and beyond its
end and in said shank portion 27 is fixed in an insert part 29
belonging to the operating pushbutton 8. The latter comprises
insert part 29 and a pushbutton part 30 surrounding the latter and
which is extended axially in finger-like manner. It is provided at
its lower end with a shoulder 31 for operating with the fingers and
a cylindrical edge 32 connected thereto, which engages over the
pump body and is optionally fixed thereto by latches 33.
Insert part 29 and the hollow pushbutton part 30 form an operating
cylinder 34 with two diameter steps, in which is arranged a valve
body 35 on an additional valve 36. Operating cylinder 34 comprises
the assembly of parts 29 and 30, the larger diameter cylinder
portion being located in the pushbutton part and the smaller
diameter portion in the insert part, namely towards the pump body.
The movable valve body 35 comprises a nozzle needle-like rod with a
conical valve seat 37 at its upper end and a shaped-on differential
piston, whose elastic sleeves 38, 39 run in the individual stages
of operating cylinder 34, and permit a limited axial mobility of
the valve body. The end of the valve body remote from the valve
seat is subdivided by several slots into three lug-like spring webs
40, which are placed on a conical surface 41, which downwardly
terminates the operating cylinder 34 and in whose centre ends a
connecting opening to the hollow piston rod, which belongs to the
medium delivery passage 42.
The spring webs 40 can laterally slide away on conical surface 41,
and, due to the elastic properties of the plastic, from which the
valve body is made, act as pressing springs and feelingly pres the
valve seat 37 on to the inner surface of a central outlet opening
43 at the upper end of operating pushbutton 28. The part of the
operating cylinder 34 between the two piston sleeves 38, 39 is
connected to the atmosphere by means of a compensating passage 44.
The slots in the valve body and which subdivide the spring webs
extend over the upper piston sleeve 38 and consequently form part
of the medium delivery passage. The aforementioned dosing pump
operates in the following way. When the operating pushbutton 28 is
forced downwards by pressing on shoulder surface 31, the piston
sleeve 20 in pump chamber 18 moves downwards and compresses the
medium contained therein. Due to the hydraulic pressure exerted on
the piston sleeve, the shank-like portion thereto is move upwards
under axial compression and opens the pump discharge valve 23, so
that the medium flows past the annular valve seat, through the
lateral bores in piston rod 21 and the medium delivery passage 42
into the operating cylinder 34, and produces an internal pressure
there, because the outlet opening 43 is closed by valve body 35.
Due to the differential pressures on the differently dimensioned
piston steps 38, 39, valve body 35 in operating cylinder 34 is
moved downwards under the tension of spring webs 40 and opens
additional valve 36, so that the medium can pass out of the
discharge opening 43. Thus, the latter is only opened when the
medium is under a pressure determined by the piston differential
surfaces and the spring tension of the spring webs 40, and is
closed immediately after this pressure drops. The pressure decrease
occurs relatively rapidly because then the piston sleeve 20 with
its lower sealing end passes over a recess 55 in the pump cylinder
wall, so that the sealing sleeve and the pressurized medium in the
pump chamber 18 are detoured and the pressure collapses suddenly.
Overflowing medium can flow back into the container through the air
compensating openings 26.
This recess 55 also assists with the initial suction with the pump
chamber still filled with air. The compressed air can also flow
back into the container via recess 55, so that during the next
upward stroke a vacuum is produced and sucks medium into the pump
chamber via inlet valve 17 and suction tube 16.
It can be seen that additional valve 36 closes the outlet passage
47 which, in its final portion surrounds the rod-like section of
valve body 34, directly at the discharge opening 43, the tip of the
valve body projecting into the latter always keeping it open. As
the additional valve 36 only opens in one direction, namely in the
discharge direction, even in the case of an external overpressure
or a vacuum in the container, nor air can enter the discharge
passage and no possibly already contaminated medium can be sucked
back again.
The variant shown in FIG. 2 is in all its details identical to the
construction of FIG. 1, with the exception of those described
hereinafter. With respect to this and to the following variants,
reference should be made to the preceding description in connection
with identical parts which carry the same reference numerals.
Similar or functionally identical parts carry the same reference
numerals with an index.
In place of the discharge opening in FIG. 1, in the case of FIG. 2
an atomizer nozzle is provided at the end of the operating
pushbutton 28a. On the upper end face of the bore forming the
compensating passage 47, it contains three grooves 50, i.e. helical
grooves between corresponding ribs, which impart an angular
momentum to the medium when it is flowing through. Thus, in outlet
nozzle 43a, the medium has a considerable angular momentum, which
conically breaks up and atomizes the liquid jet when it passes out
of the discharge nozzle. The latter is closed by a nozzle needle
37a at the end of valve body 35a. Following on to this nozzle
needle, the valve body has a step 52, which partly covers the
helical grooves 50 and partly closes them in the downwards
direction. It is also possible to shape on to nozzle needle 37a a
needle extending into the upper part of atomizer nozzle 43a and
which always strikes the nozzle free in the case of liquids which
harden or dry very easily.
In this construction, the main part of the atomizer nozzle, namely
the helical grooves, and the lower part of the nozzle opening are
always closed, the latter always being kept free by the mechanical
movement of the additional valve body 35a at the time of opening.
Thus, no liquid can dry in this area. In addition, the nozzle
cross-section changes on opening, so that it can automatically
adapt to the particular hydraulic pressure. In the case of the
represented construction, the additional valve body and its springs
are designed in such a way that it performs its complete valve
stroke in a relatively sudden manner and completely frees the
nozzle. However, as a function of the hydraulic pressure, it would
also be possible to move the valve body backwards by a varying
amount and consequently the nozzle needle could be made e.g.
conical, so as to continuously adapt the liquid passage to the
hydraulic pressure and consequently the amount of liquid
discharged.
Another advantage is that the atomizer nozzle, i.e. the helical
grooves, and the discharge opening are directly shaped on to the
operating pushbutton, so that there is no need to use a separate
nozzle body. The atomizer nozzle can be a larger diameter, because
the cross-section is reduced through the nozzle needle, which
facilitates manufacture.
Whereas in the case of the constructions according to FIGS. 1 and
2, the discharge opening 43 or the nozzle 43a is positioned axially
and arranged at the end of a finger-like projection of the
operating pushbutton, in order e.g. to serve as a nose spray or the
like, in the case of FIG. 3 the discharge opening 43b is provided
on a lateral projection 53 of operating pushbutton 28b. The pump on
which operating pushbutton 28b is mounted can correspond to that of
FIG. 1.
The operating pushbutton 28b is shaped like an inverted cylindrical
pot with the lateral outlet connection 53 and an upper pressure
surface 31b. A cylindrical connection 54 is shaped on to the
inside, and is pressed on to the piston rod of the not shown,
connected pump. The connection and consequently the medium delivery
passage is connected to a step-like operating cylinder 34 provided
in the operating pushbutton and which has the shape and function
shown in FIG. 1, except that it is arranged in a horizontally axial
manner and its smaller diameter portion is located in the
pushbutton, whilst its larger diameter portion is formed in the
connection 53 pressed into the same. The valve body 35 and its
support surface 41 are identical to those of FIG. 1, although here
there is a larger outlet opening 43b for a pasty medium. In
addition, the function corresponds to that explained
hereinbefore.
The embodiment of FIG. 4 also has a horizontally directed,
relatively large discharge opening 43c, which is closed by the
valve seat 37c of a horizontally arranged valve body 35c. The
operating cylinder 34c for the valve body 35c is provided on a
connection 53c, which is inserted in an opening in operating
pushbutton 28c. In this case, the connection to the medium delivery
passage 42 from the pump is between the discharge opening 43c and a
piston sleeve 39c of valve body 35c. The latter has an elongated
rod shape and is made in one piece from plastic with the sleeve and
the spring webs 40c, in the same way as all the previously
described valve bodies. The spring webs 40c are once again located
on a conical surface 41 in the operating pushbutton. The piston
sleeve 39c defines an annular pressure space in the operating
cylinder, so that when the medium pressure builds up in operating
cylinder 34c, the valve body is displaced to the right and the
valve seat 37c frees the discharge opening 43c. The left-hand or
front portion of valve body 35c is guided in a corresponding bore
connected to discharge opening 43c and compensating passage 47c is
formed by grooves in the wall of said opening.
In all the embodiments, the operating pushbutton is normally
pressed on to the piston rod, but can be removed therefrom. Thus,
several operating pushbutton types can be provided from the same
pump. The connection between the operating pushbutton and the pump
chamber is only under pressure during the actual operation and a
detachment of the pushbutton does not impair the seal of the pump
and the container.
* * * * *